Steam-engine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- A. H. F. 'STRAUB.

STEAM ENGINE. No. 404,573. Patented June 4, 1889.

a Ii 5 3 J o o o 5 U E H E Cy'l W/TNESLS'ES: l/lIl/E/VTOH:

52110. qz/mw By ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS Fhola-unw n her, Washingwn, D, Q

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. H. F. STRAUB.- STEAM ENGINE;

\ No. 404,573. Patented June 4, 1889.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. A. H. F. STRAUB.

STEAM ENGINE.

No. 404,573. Patented June 4, 1889.

WIT NE 885 8 @b A TTORNEYS.

u. PUENS. Phnnmmo n m. Mnhingiw: o. a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED HJF. STRAUB, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,573, dated June 4, 1889. v

Application filed July 30, 1888. Serial No. 281,359. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED H. F. STRAU B, of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Steam-Engine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved steam engine which is simple and durable in construction and very effective in operation, avoiding all dead-points by transmitting the power directly to the main driving-shaft.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then poin ted out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of theimprovement. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of the same on the line 00 so of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of part of the improvement on the line y y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of part of the valvegear. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the steam-inlet on the linez z of Fig. 1, and Fig 7 is a detail end elevation of one of the pawls.

The improved steam-engine is provided with two cylinders A and A, placed in the same horizontal plane alongside of each other and mounted on a suitable frame NY. In the cylinders A and A are held to travel the pistons B and B, respectively connected with the piston-rods C and C, respectively extending through both ends of the cylinders A and A. The outer ends of the piston-rods O and C are connected by transverse beams D and D, respectively, in the middle of which is secured a longitudinal bar E, mounted to. slide in suitable bearings A A formed on the inner side of the steam-cylinders A and A. In the middle of the longitudinal bar E and 011 its under side are formed the rack-teeth E, meshing into a gear-wheel F, mounted to rotate loosely on the main driving-shaft G, rotating in suitable bearings formed on the frame IV directly under the cylinders A and A. On one outer end of the main drivinging-shaft G.

shaft G is secured a large pulley G for trans mitting the motion of the engine to the machinery to be driven.

On the gear-wheel F are pivoted a number ofdouble pawls H, arranged in a circle and each provided with two wings H and H standing at right angles to each other, and of which the wingv H of each double pawl H is adapted to engage a ratchet-wheel I, secured by suitable means to the main driving-shaft G. The other wing H of each double pawl H is adapted to engage a ratchet-wheel J, formed on the hub of a bevel gear-wheel J mounted to rotate loosely on the main driv- IVhen the Wings H of the double pawl H engage the ratchet-wheel I, the other wings H are disengaged from the ratchet-wheel J, and vice versa The bevel gear-wheel J meshes into a bevel gear-wheel K, secured to a vertical shaft K, mounted to rotate in suitable bearings formed on the main frame IV. The bevel gear-wheel K meshes into a bevel gear-wheel L, secured on one end of the main driving-shaft G. Thus when the gear-wheel F is rotated in one direction and the wings H of the double pawls H engage the ratchet-wheel I, then the main driving-shaft G is turned in the same direction in which the gear wheel F revolves. WVhen the latter revolves in an opposite direction, the wings H of the double pawls I-I engage the ratchet-wheel J, while the other wings H glide over the teeth of the ratchetwheel I. The bevel gear-wheel J, carrying the'said ratchet-wheel J, is thus turned in the direction of the motion of the gear-wheel F, and the motion of the bevel gear-wheel J is transmitted by the bevel gear-wheel K to the bevel gear-wheel L, which then travels in the opposite direction of thebevel gear-wheel J, thus imparting a rotary motion to the main driving-shaft G in the same direction as it had originally when the ratchet-wheel I was rotated, as above described, so that a continuous rotary motion is imparted to the main driving-shaft G in whatever direction the gear-wheel F may be traveling.

. On the bevel gear-wheel L is'formed a pulley L, connected by a belt L with a pulley L connected w riitlf't'fie governor N for imparting the usu. motion to the same. The

governor N maybe of any approved construction and adapted to open and close the valve N, connected with the steam-inlet pipe N The valve i also connects with the cut-oil valve 0, adapted to connect alternately with the ports a and 1), leading to the pipes I and 1, respectively connected with the steamchests (3 and Q, respectively located on top between the cylinders A and A.

In the steam-chests Q and Q travel the slide-valves R and B, respectively operating over the inlet-ports c and 0', respectively leading to the ends of the cylinders A and A. The slide-valves R and R connect alternately the ports a and c with the cxhaustports (l and d, leading to the outside in the usual manner. The slide-valves Pt and R are connected with each other by a rod R and are placed in such a relative position that when the slide-valve It connects its llll6t-POTtCWii7ll its exhaustport (Z the other slide-valve R closes the exhaust-port (Z and permits live steam to enter the inlet-port c. When the positions of the valves R and R are changed, the relative positions of the valves to the ports are changed in a reverse manner to that above described. I

In the middle of the valve-rod R is secured a collar R pivotally connected with a lever S, mounted to turn on a stud S, secured to the cylinder A, as is plainly shown in Fig. On the lower end of the lever S is held afriction-roller S traveling on top of a guide-bar E secured to the longitudinal bar E, before mentioned. The ends of the guide-bar E are curved, and when the friction-wheel S engages the left end of the said guide-bar it comes in contact with a friction-wheel E, for changing the posit-ion of the lever S. The friction-wh eel S at the right-hand end of the guide-bar E comes in contact with the frietion-roller E", for again reversing the position of the lever S. The reversing of the lever S takes place suddenly when the pistons 13 and B in the cylinders A and A near the ends of their strokes, so that thepositions of the slide-valves R and R in the stea1n-chests Q and Q are changed after the inlet and exhaust of steam from the ends of the cylinders A and A. I

In order to use the steam expansively, I provide the cut-off valve 0, before mentioned, which is connected with a valve-stein T, havin g a wing T extending into a slot formed in the said valve 0, as is plainly shown in Fig. 6. Thus when the valve-stem T is turned the wing T turns the said valve and opens or closes the ports a and b, respectively. On the lower end or the valvestem T is secured a forked arm, U, provided on its forked ends with friction-rollers U and U traveling in guideways E and E, formed on one side of the guide-bar E, as is plainly shown in Fig. 5. Thus when the pistons 13 and B in the cylinders A and A make two-thirds of their strokes the valve-stem T is turned by the action. of the guideways E and E on the frictionrollers U and U on the said valve-stem,

whereby the valve 0 cuts oil? sooner or later the ports a and I), thus preventing an entrance of steam to the respective steam-chests (Q or Q.

The operation is as follows: The two pistons in the cylinders A and A are located directly opposite each other to travel together forward. orbaekward in the said cylinders A and A whenever steam is admitted through the respective ports 0 and e in the respective ends of the cylinders a and a. The forward and backward motion of the pistons in the cylinders a and to causes a forward and backward sliding motion of the longitudinal bar E, which, by its rack-teeth E, imparts a rotary motion forward and backward to the gear-wheel F. The rotary forward and backward motion of the latter is converted into a continuous rotary motion imparted to the main driving-shaft G by the means above mentioned-that is, the double pawls II, the ratchet-wheel I, secured on the main driving-shaft G, and the bevel gearwheels J, K, and L. As the positions of the slide-valves R and R in the steam-chests Q, and Q are not changed until the pistons near the ends of their strokes, the exhaust-steam in front of thepiston can freely escape. The guideways E and E are so arranged. that the valve 0 cuts off the live steam when the pistons have made about two-thirds of their strokes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In asteam-engine, the combination, with cylinders and pistons operating in the same, of steam-chests held on the said cylinders, slide-valves held in the said steam-chests, a valve-rod connecting the said slide-valves, a lever pivotally connected with the said valverod, and a bar secured to the pistons and sliding between the cylinders and operating on the said lever to shift the said slide-valves, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a steam-engine, the combination, with cylinders and pistons operating in the same, ofstcan1-chests held on the said cylinders, slide-valves held in the said steam-chests, a valve-rod connecting the said slide-valves, a lever pivotally connected with the said valverod, a bar having a reciprocating motion derived from the said pistons and operating on the said lever to shift the said slide-valves, and a cut-oil valve connected with the said steam-chest and controlled by the said bar, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a steam-engine, the eombination,with a cut-off valve, of a valve-stem carrying the said valve, a forked arm held on the said valve-stein and provided with friction-rollers, and a bar having a reciprocating motion derived from the action oi the pistons, the said bar being provided with guideways for the said friction-rollers, substantially as shown and described.

l. In a steamengine,the combination, with two slide-valves and a valve-rod connecting ITO the said slide-valves, of a lever pivotally connected at one end with the said valve-rod and provided at its other end with a frictionroller, a bar having a reciprocating motion derived from the pistons, guideways formed on the top of the said her and on which travels the said friction -roller, and stop- Wheels held on the top of the said bar for reversing the said lever, substantially as shown and described.

ALFRED H. F. STRAUB. Witnesses:

G. E. HUBER, SYDNEY LAOEY. 

